I’m sure, since the beginning of time, we have had certain Scriptures backwards in our practice of living a Christian life. There is one practice on which I would like to place my focus. It’s the matter of TRUST.
How many times in our lives have we trusted a friend, only to be hurt because they didn’t “come through for us”. What we are really saying is that they didn’t fulfill our need or want. They didn’t fulfill our expectation. They didn’t “prefer” us above themselves or somebody else. They didn’t do what we assumed they should do for us or somebody else. Sounds a little self-absorbed and self-centered.
Because we “trusted” them or had “expectations” of them, we were let down, it affected our relationship. We had to go through all sorts of emotional ups and downs, hurt feelings, separations, healing of emotions, etc. The worst part is that we “judged” them and became critical of them and their walk with God.
The Scripture tells us “not to judge, lest we be judged” (Matthew 7:1) (Also check out Luke 6). When we see a brother “overtaken in a fault (or sin)……restore such a one in the spirit of meekness” ( have the authority and power to rip them up, but not doing it) (Galatians 6:1).
Now the above two Scriptures are very different. If you see someone in a dangerous place, you’re not judging. You try to restore. Judging is being critical because they didn’t fulfill your expectations of them. I don’t see in the Word of God where I’m supposed to expect YOU to fulfill my desires, needs, wants.
Proverbs 11:13 implies we are to be "trustworthy": "He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy and faithful in spirit keeps the matter hidden." BUT,
NO where in the Bible does it say to TRUST man. In fact, there are Scriptures that tell us NOT to trust in man or things made by man (i.e. “don’t trust in horses or chariots”).
Jeremiah 9:4
Take ye heed every one of his neighbor, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will walk with slanders.
Micah 7:5
Trust not in a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Keep the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom.
Jeremiah 17:9 tells us:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Now we can’t even trust in our own heart?! None of us can say our heart has never tricked us. None of us can say we never had a fleshy desire or an expectation of another. God made us with emotions, but emotions can be handled in the right way or wrong way. He knows we are flesh. He knows the flesh is hard to overcome, but He has made a way of escape. He tells us to crucify the flesh, take our thoughts captive, get wise godly counsel, confess our faults one to another, pray without ceasing, etc. All of these practices keep that deceitful, wicked heart in check. When we don’t keep it in check, things get out of order in our lives.
Psalm 37:3
“Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”
There are many Scriptures that tell us to TRUST God:
Hebrews 2:13; Psalm 18:2; Psalm 18:30; Psalm 31:14;
Psalm 4:5; Psalm 37:3-5; Psalm 71:1; Psalm 91:2;
Psalm 5:11; Psalm 118:8; Proverbs 3:5; Proverbs 22:19;
Isaiah 36:7; Isaiah 50:10
(Not an exhaustive list.)
I didn’t find a Scripture to tell me to TRUST man. BUT, I did find plenty of Scriptures to tell me to LOVE man:
I John 3:14-17; I John 4:7-21; Colossians 2:2; I Timothy 1:5;
Hebrews 13:1; Leviticus 19:18; Proverbs 10:12; Matthew 5:44;
John 13:35; John 15:12; Romans 12:9; Romans 13:10;
I Peter 4:8; I Peter 2:17
(Not an exhaustive list.)
We, as the Body of Christ, have gotten this backwards. We have tended to TRUST in man, and LOVE God, when God told us to TRUST GOD, and LOVE PEOPLE. Of course, we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength also, but God has made a very strong point in His Word to LOVE people. If we can get that in the right order, there will be a lot less of the works of the flesh operating in the Church.
Let’s use the Scripture as a measuring stick, not each other. I Corinthians 13 tells us exactly what we need to expect from ourselves as we surrender to Him and let God’s love flow through us. If we can’t see it, we need more surrender. It’s not about “feeling” it. It’s about “doing” it. He tells us that “apart from Me, you can do nothing”. We can’t “do” this on our own. It flows out of relationship with Him.
"4 Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. 5 It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. 6 It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. 7 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. 8 Love never fails."
God wants us to love unconditionally as He does. If our emotions get in the way of doing that, then we have put our trust in flesh.
Remember to TRUST GOD and LOVE MAN.
